Gifts Will Benefit Future Business Students Several donors are among generous supporters. OSU’s Business Building,
located in the center of the Stillwater campus, has been home to thousands of students since it opened in the 1960s. But students can expect a change as the Spears School of Business moves into its new state-of-the-art home. Former students and supporters of the Spears School have given generously since Dean Larry Crosby announced last fall that a four-level structure east of Hester Street would be built to replace the current building. The effort to raise $60 million in private support is nearing the halfway mark. The generosity of donors is necessary for Spears School students to remain competitive. There are several opportunities to assist, and every gift makes a difference. Two longtime OSU supporters making a difference are Chuck and Kim Watson, who have given in numerous ways over the years, including a $2 million donation for the Watson Trading Floor in the Business Building. They endowed the Watson Family Chair for Commodity and Financial Risk Management and master’s in quantitative financial economics, and endowed various other scholarships. They also endowed full scholarships for the Cowboys basketball and wrestling teams.
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The atrium on the ground level of the future OSU Spears School of Business home is envisioned as a gathering place for students, faculty and staff.
The Watsons’ recent gift of cash, pledges and an estate commitment, when combined with matching gifts, will have a total impact of $36 million. The gift will help build the new home for the Spears School and establish the Watson Graduate School of Management in honor of the OSU alumni, pending approval by the university and the OSU Board of Regents. Chuck Watson believes the Watson Graduate School of Management, in addition to the new building, will greatly enhance the learning opportunities for business students. “From the business school, we have graduated some incredibly successful business leaders throughout the globe. We have the graduate programs, the MBA and now doctorate programs, and I feel like there is so much more potential for these graduates to flourish under one roof. That’s
how the really successful schools have their programs designed. Some of the best graduate schools are thought of separately (from undergraduate programs), and their reputations are unique,” Watson says. “I’d like to bring OSU into that level of recognition around the world. I know we can get there,” he says. “Again, we’re in better shape than people think we are, so it’s not a huge leap of faith to say we can be a top-tier graduate school.” Others who have that vision are Amy and Malone Mitchell 3rd, who in 2008 wanted to help their alma mater create a world-class entrepreneurship program. Their $57.2 million gift was split evenly between the Spears School and the athletic department. The Spears School’s share was the largest donation ever to a university entrepreneurship program.